Can or box lifter.



A. J'. COLLIER.

CAN OR BOX LIFTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.27, 1912.

' 1,085,542 Patented Jan; 27, 1914.

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ANDREW J. COLLIER, OF STINESVILLE, INDIANA.

CAN or. BOX LIFTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 27, 1914..

Application filed April 27, 1912. Serial No. 693,575.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANDREW J. COLLIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stinesville, in the county of Monroe and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can or Box Lifters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to can or box lifters adapted to be used in stores or at other places where such packages are generally retained upon shelves perparatory to dispensation.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple device which may be conveniently hung upon one of the shelves when not in use, and which consists primarily of a staff having a fixed member located thereon and a member shiftably mounted thereon. A spring is connected with the shiftable member and is under tension with a tendency to hold it toward the member that is fixed upon the staff. The package to be removed from any particular shelf is grasped at its edge portions between the said members which may be, if desired, provided with hooks for engagement with the edge portions of the package.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a view looking at one side of the lifter. Fig. 2 is a view looking at the opposite side. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the sliding member. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the stationary member. Fig. 6 is a side elevation.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and inclicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

The lifter comprises a staff 1 to one side of which it attached a plate 2. This plate is provided with a pair of outstanding flexible fingers 3 which are adapted to be inserted over the upper and under the lower edge of a shelf whereby the lifter is held in posit-ion upon a shelf when not in use. A member at is fixed to the stafl 1 and may be provided at that edge remote from the stafi with hooks 5. A member 6 is slidably mounted upon the staff 1 and may be provided at that edge remote from the staff with hooks 7. The member 6 is provided at its ends with pins 8. A spring 9 is attached at one end to the staff 1 and its upper end is connected with branch springs 10. The upper ends of the branch springs 10 are connected with the pins 8 located at the opposite ends of the member 6. These springs are under tension wit-h a tendency to hold the member 6 toward the fixed member 4. The staff 1 is pointed at its upper end as at 11.

In operation, the pointed end 11 of the staff may be used for moving the packages or boxes along the shelf to separate them one from another and to position them so that they may be readily grasped between the members 4 and 6. To grasp the edge of the box, the hooks carried by the members 6 or a portion of the member proper is inserted over the upper side or end of the box or package to be removed. A downward pull is then exerted upon the staff which elongates the springs 9 and 10, and then the member 4; or the hooks carried thereby are inserted under the lower edge of the package, and the downward pull is released, therefore the box or package is grasped between the members 4 and 6 or the hooks carried thereby and may be readily removed from the shelf and lowered. The device may also be used for positioning boxes or packages upon shelves by reversing the operation just above described.

hat I claim is:

A package lifter comprising a staff, a member fixed thereto, a member slidably mounted thereon and having at its ends pins, a spring connected at one end with the staff, branch springs connected with the first mentioned spring and also connected with the pins upon the movable member, the said springs being under tension with a tendency to hold the slidable member toward the fixed member.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW J. COLLIER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents. 

